The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has reaffirmed its decision to maintain the ban on proxy voting in the party’s upcoming 2026 presidential primary, despite mounting pressure from sections of the party calling for a review.
Chairman of the NPP’s Presidential Elections Committee, Joseph Osei Owusu, announced the decision after the committee concluded extensive consultations on petitions and concerns submitted by various party stakeholders.
According to him, although the committee received and thoroughly examined numerous appeals, the overriding priority remains guaranteeing a transparent and credible electoral process.
“The earlier published position or guideline on proxy voting, we’ve listened to all kinds of petitions. We’ve read the petitions presented by sections of the party. And after listening to all that, we came to a conclusion that for the sake of conducting an election that is incident-free, an election that is respected, an election in which it’s accessible to all, a very credible election, that provision or that ban should be maintained,”
Joe Osei Owusu, Chairman, NPP Presidential Elections Committee.
He stressed that the committee’s stance is firm:
“We will still not have proxy voting in this 2026 presidential primaries.”
The decision means all eligible delegates must be physically present at their designated polling centres on voting day to cast their ballots.
The ban on proxy voting was first introduced to tighten processes and reduce potential manipulation or disputes associated with absentee voting. While some party members argue that the restriction disadvantages delegates who may be indisposed or outside the country, the Elections Committee insists that the measure is vital to safeguarding the integrity of the party’s internal election.